Spurs, TJ Ford close to returning to action

The Nuggets game was the 24th consecutive contest guard T.J. Ford has missed since he tore a muscle in his left hamstring area Jan. 10 at Milwaukee. The former University of Texas star’s long wait to return to the court might be ending soon. “We’re hoping we’ll get T.J. back after the All-Star break, or maybe one or two games after the break,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We think somewhere in there he’ll be ready to go.” As eager as he is to return, he understands it is going to take a while to get back to the productive level at which he had been playing before the injury. “I’ve got to get my legs back under me,” he said while lacing up his sneakers for a one-on-one session with Joseph after a morning practice at the Pepsi Center. “I’ve got to work back to doing stop moves and taking contact. “Just getting back into a groove will be important for me, getting back to the rhythms of the season, sleeping, eating, the routine.”